VOICES | On Black leadership, Kersten and Bell should stay tuned

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It has taken me several weeks to respond to a couple of items that appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune concerning Black leadership. The two authors, Katherine Kersten and Peter Bell, are people I like and respect. Katherine and I have colluded on the state of African American academic achievement in the public schools. And, she was responsible for my now-infamous “vote with your feet” quote in the Wall Street Journal several years ago. Peter Bell is one of the brightest people I have met, and I have watched his career transcend racial boundaries. Continue Reading

VOICES | Civil Rights Commission may not be perfect, but we try

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This is written in response to Ron Edwards’ column “The art of silence, the act of cowardice” [MSR, August 14]. Let me be abundantly clear: The Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission is a group of volunteers who are appointed by the mayor and city council. We are not paid, have no benefits, and most of us desire fairness and equality. Mr. Edwards, as a former chairperson of this body, should be the last to point fingers at the entire commission. If he has concerns about specific parts of or persons on the commission, I would prefer he be specific in his complaint instead of painting the entire commission with a broad brush. Continue Reading

VOICES | State grant program fuels Minnesota’s economic future

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There were more than 65,000 high school graduates in Minnesota last spring, a number we will not soon see again – the number of high school graduates will fall by 9 percent between now and 2014. This is not what Minnesota needs. The decreasing supply of high school graduates and the ensuing drop in college graduates will come just as more Baby Boomers retire, posing a serious challenge for our economy. Many Minnesotans see the problem on the horizon. On the television program “Vanishing Graduates And Minnesota’s Future,” real estate broker Tony DelDotto described the situation as a bubble that is about to break, one that requires immediate attention to ensure our state has the human capital it needs to ensure a quality economy in the future. Continue Reading

VOICES | Conservatives’ math doesn’t add up

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The Merry Pranksters at the Taxpayers League of Minnesota are entitled to their own opinion about the proposed state constitutional amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot. It would raise the sales tax by 3/8 of a cent, dedicating the revenue by formula to the environment, clean water, parks and trails and the arts, so it’s no surprise that they’re against it. But in another confirmation of their reputation as the Fact Slayers League, they bolster their argument with faith-based arithmetic. When the pranksters calculate the amendment’s projected annual take of $276 million over its 25-year life, they come up with an $11 BILLION TAX INCREASE, as headlined in red capital letters on flyers distributed at the State Fair. Continue Reading

VOICES | Kill ‘em all and let nature do the sorting

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I just returned from Iowa and my ears are still ringing from the gut-crunching drone of low-flying airplanes—the kind that seem to be all engine and spray nozzles. About a dozen crop dusters blanketed one county alone during a two-day period, spraying for aphids—thirsty little monsters that literally suck the life juices out of crops like soybeans. The rolling hills of Cass County were under chemical siege from dawn ’til dusk. A lack of timely rains and the absence of aphid predators like lady beetles have made the pests a real threat to soybeans in certain parts of the Midwest this summer. In a year when floods and a late spring are already making a good harvest iffy, no one’s taking any chances, even if it means paying $14 to $15 per acre to hire a daredevil who skims the earth while sitting on tanks of toxin. Continue Reading

VOICES | The shameful neglect of mentally-wounded veterans

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Sgt. Daniel Fanning, an Iraq war veteran, spoke passionately at the Minnesota Capitol recently, about the medical care veterans receive. Fanning served in the 1158th Transportation Company, driving trucks in Iraq. Because of the constant threat of IEDs, military transport jobs are highly stressful, and many people involved suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The sergeant showed a picture of himself with three of his buddies in Iraq. Continue Reading

VOICES: When “profiling” backfires

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The subject of profiling, the practice of weighing someone’s guilt or innocence based on the way they look or act, is bandied about a lot these days. Some people think it’s a perfectly acceptable practice when carried out by law enforcement. After walking into two profiling situations today I’m convinced of its dangers, not only to the victims but also the perpetrators. First, at a little before 3 p.m. my teenage daughter and I were heading for the Ripple Effect event at the State Capitol grounds to hear Michael Franti, a musician we both like. After we crossed Constitution Avenue a volunteer with the National Lawyers Guild pointed out to me that a state trooper took our picture as we crossed the street, and that he was taking pictures of every person that entered the venue from the same direction. Continue Reading